Dangerous Type
by Camo Spesh Owl
Summary: Mitsuko likes Kazuo? He likes her too? A competetition turns deadly...but who will take the fall? Also includes POVs from Hirono, Sho and Shinji. Rated T for certain themes...
1. Another Day At Shiroiwa High

_Touching makes it better_, the too familiar words floated around inside Mitsuko Souma's mind as the man's hands began to caress her with a more heated fever.

What really made this one better was the size of the wallet she knew was in the man's trouser pockets on the motel room floor.

A grin spread across Mitsuko's face. Then, right on cue, the drugs kicked in, and the man began to slow his movements before, finally, slumping forward against her.

With a sound of complete contempt, Mitsuko shoved the man away from her and jumped to her feet. She swiftly retrieved the wallet and stuffed it into her school bag before rearranging her uniform and skipping lightly out of the room.

Whipping her phone from her bag, she dialled her best friend.

"Hey slut" greeted Mitsuko in her usual lazy drawl. "At school already?"

"The new Science teacher is _fiiiine_" whistled Hirono, after a delay, as the man himself strode briskly past on the way to his class room.

Mitsuko sniggered, "Well clearly s_ome_body didn't learn their lesson from last time"

"Clearly" Hirono replied, un-amused.

"Whatever. I scored us some cash so we can go out tonight" Mitsuko informed her in a bored voice, examining her nails in a disinterested fashion, while not bothering to look before crossing the road.

"Already? Shit, you're some eager bitch"

Mitsuko didn't like her tone.

"Later" she all but spat, disconnecting the call and throwing the phone back into her bag.

Hirono wasn't a best friend in the usual definition of the term. The pair didn't confide in each other, or have late night conversations about everything and nothing. Sometimes they didn't even _like_ each other, but they were both aware that the main thing holding them together was their poor attitude towards life, and a constant need to indulge in acts that made their classmates afraid to go near them. Well, there was that _other_ reason, but they never dwelt too much on that...

Whatever. Mitsuko didn't need _friends_. Only people too weak and afraid to live life properly lowered themselves to the degrading standards of others.

She wasn't in any particular rush, but there was a definite spring in her step thanks to the weight of the rich man's wallet in her bag.

...

Hirono sighed and dropped her phone into the hand-made pocket of her uniform skirt. Her parents always referred to her as a "lost cause", but what about Mitsuko? _She_ was, in some ways, much worse than Hirono, what with the drugging and mugging.

The only drugs Hirono carried were for herself, and while she could understand it, she considered it an unnecessary waste for Mitsuko to use her drugs on other people.

And also, Hirono thought, unable to supress a smirk, if her parents really considered her a lost cause, then what the hell would they say about Mitsuko's way of living? She had no parents, no adult that really cared about her… did Hirono really care about her? As her best friend, she knew she was _supposed_ to, but…

Yoshimi Yahagi appeared beside her, leaning against the metal locker and sighing deeply. Hirono simply looked at her questioningly.

"My parents found out about last Friday. I'm totally fucked" Yoshimi said, unimpressed.

Hirono flashed a mocking grin. "Damn. Grounded then, huh? How last year!"

Yoshimi shifted uncomfortably, averting her friends gaze. She couldn't deny the fact that peer pressure played a huge roll in her relationship with the two most tearaway girls in school. The prostitution, the muggings, the…_everything_ just made her feel so uncomfortable….

But she had to play along. Else she might as well scrawl loser on her forehead and have Hirono and Mitsuko terrorise her instead.

...

"You know, there's really no shortage of eye candy in our class" Shinji Mimura sighed, leaning back in his seat and admiring the view.

Hiroki Sugimura rolled his eyes. They both knew who he was referring to.

Takako Chigusa.

Star of the track team. Proud. Fierce temper. Yeah. She sure was a Grade A babe.

It was something of a miracle that the two friends hadn't already come to blows over her. Perhaps they would, if Chigusa ever gave either of them the time of day.

She was currently in a heated discussion with Kayoko Kotohiki about something or other.

Shinji didn't understand why Hiroki didn't just ask the girl out. They were best friends, and for all he knew, Takako already _did_ have a crush on him.

At that moment, the classroom door crashed open against the wall and Mitsuko sauntered in. There was an incredibly satisfied expression on her usually languid face and, against his own will, Shinji felt himself drawn to her beauty. Even more unexpected when she walked in looking anything but arrogant and insolent.

"A psycho bitch" was what he often referred to her as, but maybe that was part of the appeal?

His train of thoughts was derailed by none other than Shuya Nanahara, the other star of the basketball team and, like Hiroki, one of Shiji's closest friends.

"Hey, Shinji, do you think you could meet me after school down at the old park? I found some sick chords I think'll impress you"

Shuya lived for his guitar, it played second fiddle only to basketball, his one true love. Shinji was one of the only people who knew about the illegal rock music that Shuya played on his equally illegal guitar, and he always enjoyed listening to his friend play.

"Sure dude. Maybe afterward we can shoot some hoops at the old rec centre?"

Hiroki snorted, "Yeah, and I suppose the crack heads and whores will just leave quietly so we can play there?"

Shinji and Shuya regarded him.

"Well, we could always ask Mitsuko if she could move her gang someplace else tonight" Shinji knew the remark was out of line, but his attraction to her unnerved him.

He caught the dark gaze of Hirono on him and when he next glanced up, Mitsuko's Satan scowl was directed at him.

Shit.

...

Sho Tsukioka gazed at Shinji adoringly. Why wouldn't Shinji just _notice_ him? Was it really that much too ask?

Tearing his gaze away with a long suffering sigh, Sho turned to the compact mirror he'd been absently fiddling with. He popped it open and propped it in a way he considered to be rather inconspicuous. This way he could look as though he was working while spying on The Third Man without fear of being caught.

Pretty soon though, his attention span reached its end and Sho began to fiddle with the mirror. He almost dropped it, caught it at an angle and jumped, almost dropping it again.

At its skew if angle, the mirror had caught the black, hollow gaze of Sho's very own gang leader (and secret lust fantasy) Kazuo Kiriyama.

Sho caught his breath. Did kazuo know that he was looking at him? Like, right now?

Before he could contemplate it further, Sho snapped the mirror shut and threw it down on his desk.

He heard the chair in front of his creak, and looked up to find Hirono leering at him; making eyes and blowing kisses, before proceeding to make obscene sucking motions with her mouth.

Sho curled his lip in contempt. "Do you enjoy being such a filthy piece of trash?"

"_Excuse_ me?" Hirono laughed in outrage.

"You heard me. You're nothing more than a grotesque gutter slut" Sho's lips turned up into a nasty grin, "You _do_ know that, right?"

"Fuck you, faggot. You're obviously just jealous that I can pull more guys than you"

"Obviously" Sho rolled his eyes in a gesture of contempt.

Hirono shot him a withering stare before turning back to face Mitsuko and Yoshimi.

Sho directed his thoughts back to his crushes.

Sure, Shinji was a babe, but the real prize would be Kazuo. Sho honestly believed that he could make the cold-hearted boy really feel something.

He would just have to plan his moves carefully, is all.

...

It would be entirely unjustified to say that Kazuo _chose_ not to care.

He didn't _choose_ to be in a car accident that killed his parents and left him an orphan.

He didn't _choose_ to live the rest of his life with a damaged brain.

Kazuo didn't _choose_ any of it.

But would he have _liked_ a choice?

He noticed Sho's discomfort upon finding Kazuo's reflection in the compact. Kazuo wasn't blind. He knew that Sho entertained desires for him.

Maybe if he cared, he would talk to his supposed friend about it. If he cared (in a different way) he might just decide to play with Sho, and have himself a good time doing it.

His lazy gaze travelled the room and fell on the three delinquent girls.

If Kazuo cared, he might enjoy messing around with those three, too.


	2. Gym Class Drabble

**Forgot to add a disclaimer to the last chapter :S I do not own any of the characters, or the name of the school, anything else is purely from my own mind. Please R&R!**

"As you all know, Physical Education is a very important aspect of your young lives- no! Not just your _young_ lives, but your _whole_ lives! So that's why, as of today, the school governors have proposed…"

Mitsuko tuned out and inclined her head towards Hirono, exchanging a devious grin.

She was aware of Yoshimi watching her closely. _Ugh_, Mitsuko thought with distaste, _how pathetic_. Yoshimi was nothing more than a desperate wannabe, and that was why Mitsuko went out of her way to treat the girl so infernally.

She still couldn't believe that when she had threatened (as a joke, of course) Yoshimi into sleeping with that shop keeper for money, the idiot had actually done it! She was like putty that Mitsuko, and Hirono, to a lesser extent, liked to play with.

But today, the little wannabe slut was annoying her; hanging all over Hirono as if the other girl gave a shit, so Mitsuko was determined to ignore her.

She gazed out to where the boys were, and felt a little jilted to see Kazuo Kiriyama watching her out of those deadened black holes masquerading as eyes.

Mitsuko shot him a frown, though there was something stirring inside of her, something a lot like lust.

Ew.

Of course, Mitsuko knew the only reason she wanted (cringe?) Kiriyama was because he had never before so much as looked her way. Hard to get? Or merely disinterested?

Mitsuko wondered if, could she focus all her efforts into doing so, she could actually manage to seduce the heartless bastard.

Now there was an idea…

...

Hirono, though she hated herself for her desperation, could see the little cogs whirring inside Mitsuko's head and wondered what she was plotting.

Oh, she already knew it would be something greedy and devious; Mitsuko didn't do anything if there wasn't something in it for herself.

Before her mind could dwell any further, the whistle was blow and all of the girls began to separate into their teams.

As Hirono strode over to the pile to seize a hockey stick, her gaze fell upon Megumi Eto and Kaori Minami.

A sly grin crept across Hirono's face.

Hirono, now with a purpose, strode over to Mitsuko, swinging her stick in a lazy but lethal fashion, and Yoshimi, cowering rather timidly behind her.

When the whistle was blown again to signal the start of the game, Hirono sprinted straight at Megumi (who actually had the ball, so Hirono could make the impending assault into an "accident") and raised her stick.

Like a baby deer caught in headlights, Megumi froze, her eyes widening with fear as her mouth transformed into a little terrified hole. The ball completely forgotten and still lying at her feet, Megumi took off down the field, hoping that if she could get far enough away, Hirono might not follow.

There was no such luck.

Seeing what was going to happen, nobody else dared venture near the solitary ball, and with an almighty swing, that would give an Olympic champion a run for his money, Hirono smacked the ball down the pitch towards a rapidly retreating Megumi.

Everybody was watching with morbid fascination for the ball to connect. No one moved a muscle. Eventually, there came a dull thud, as the ball made impact, and Megumi Eto crashed forwards into the grass, face-first.

Hirono couldn't control her laughter, and she was almost doubled-over by the time the teacher had come over to chastise her.

"I'm so sorry" Hirono gasped, her grin far too wide, "it was just an accident. I swear!"

...

Soccer was ok, but Shinji much preferred basketball.

The game was intense, with Shuya on the opposing team. Shinji was aware of one the assholes of Kiriyama's gang; Ryuhei Sasagawa, trying to put him off (the asshat wasn't even playing) but, being so used to distractions on the court, Shinji found him relatively easy to ignore.

Somebody who _wasn't_ so easy to blank was Sho Tsukioka who, as much as he tried to ignore it, he knew had a massive crush on him.

Shit.

And there was Sho, doing his peculiar little lope down the field towards him, charming smile in place.

_How_ had Sho ended up on the same team as him? What cruel fate had decided this?

"You know Shinji, I _am_ playing too" Sho said, in what he assumed was a seductive drawl, lightly touching Shinji's arm.

"I'm aware" Shinji glared at him defensively, pulling his arm out of the other boys grasp. "Why don't you go and…stand over there or something?"

"Ooh, I've ruffled _your_ feathers haven't I?" Sho grinned wickedly, and proceeded to caress Shinji's arm again.

"Ju-no-get- get off of me, ok?" Shinji was incredibly ruffled; he wasn't used to, and definitely didn't welcome homosexual advances.

"But I want to _play_ Shinji" Sho's tone was pure petulance until he said Shinji's name; then it was more of a lusty purr.

Shinji grumbled, irritated, "Fine. I'll pass the ball to you. Just go…somewhere"

Sho jumped up and down with glee, which Shinji knew was put on for his benefit, and fell back, out of sight.

Then Shinji began to tear down the pitch towards the goal, losing himself in the game, until –

"Shinji! I'm open!"

Shinji faltered and the ball went spinning out of his control, as the gwauffing laughter of Shogo Kawada, among others began to get to him.

When the final whistle blew, Shinji shot a furious glare over to the pathetically named Kiriyama Family, that stupid group of bad boys who consisted of; Kazuo, Mitsuru Numai (the second in command), Ryuhei Sasagawa, Hiroshi Kuronage and , of course, Sho Tsukioka.

They all saw him do it, and they all sent him even more withering copies of his own expression. All apart from Sho, that is. He simply grinned seductively and blew him a kiss.

Shinji averted his gaze and looked around for his friends. Where the hell _were_ they all?

Hiroki was lounging against the building wall, hands in his pockets, hair flopping over his face, chatting to Chigusa, satisfied expression in place. Shinji bristled.

Looking further out, he spotted Shuya and Nobu carrying the equipment back over to the large shed, chatting animatedly.

He could have looked for others, but decided to slouch off back to the changing room instead; the quicker he got there, the less time he would have to spend under Sho's prying eyes.

His step faltered when the door banged shut behind him and he saw Kiriyama, feet kicked up on the bench as if he were at home, smoking.

Shinji suddenly remembered that he couldn't recall seeing the "Boss" outside with the rest of his juvenile gang.

"Sho giving you grief?"

"What?" Shinji frowned, looking up. Kazuo had never before so much as _glanced_ his way, and now he was trying to initiate conversation?

"Yeah" Shinji's eyes narrowed of their own accord.

"He's nothing but an attention seeker" Kazuo continued with a lazy shrug.

Shinji didn't reply. He simply didn't know what to say.

"But, he's your friend" Shinji said, after an extended pause.

Kazuo looked up at Shinji for the first time, one eyebrow slightly arched. "I think you and I have different definitions of the word "friend", don't you?"

Shinji shrugged, "I don't really understand why you hang around with people you hate"

"I never said I hated him" there was something guarded about Kazuo's countenance now, and Shinji decided it was best to back off.

He moved over to his area of the room and quickly stripped out of his sweaty clothes. It was probably just paranoia, but Shinji had a creeping suspicion than Kiriyama was watching him.

...

Sho sauntered into the changing room with the rest of the Kiriyama Family, his gaze automatically sweeping the space for Shinji.

"He's gone" Kazuo informed him blandly, not looking up from the cigarette he was holding between his fingers.

"Oh"

"You should leave him alone" Kazuo continued, to the surprise of everyone else in the room. "He's doesn't want you. And he never will"

There was nothing mocking or nasty in the way he said it; Kazuo spoke in the same measured, blank tone he always spoke with, but it was the quantity of words he was using that surprised everyone.

"Right. Of course" Sho had been frowning down at Kazuo when he had looked up unexpectedly and saw him.

Sho shuffled off to where his own garments were hanging up.

Why had Kazuo told him that? Had he been speaking to Shinji? Were Kazuo and Shinji –

No. That was _beyond_ ridiculous.

Still, as lunchtime came around, and the Kiriyama Family settled in their usual crevice by the car park, Sho couldn't help but think about whether his Boss had formed some sort of alliance with Shinji.

...

Kazuo immediately regretted speaking to Sho. It was obvious the boy was over-analysing every word. And what kind of twisted conclusions was he getting? The idiot probably imagined by now that Kazuo and Shinji had been carrying out some sort of secret tryst. Christ.

He felt in no mood to sit with his "friends" and instead went for a walk around the school grounds. After deciding that nothing of interest was happening anywhere, Kazuo settled himself down on the grass bank by the outdoor basketball court, and was mildly surprised to find his black gaze fall on Mitsuko Souma, tearing Megumi Eto's lunch out of her hands and tossing it behind her to the waiting hands of Hirono and Yoshimi.

Mitsuko's cruel smirk intrigued him. Was it possible that his female counterpart had been under his nose this whole time?

Thinking back, Kazuo wondered why he and Mitsuko had never spoken before. Had he thought her too delinquent? Too beneath him? He was from one of the wealthiest families around, while she was practically a street tramp. It certainly would have been a plausible reason.

After shoving Megumi – hard – into the brick wall, tears streaming down her face, Mitsuko walked away, flanked by the other two girls.

Making a quick decision, Kazuo hopped to his feet and made to follow the trio.

He saw them settle down on the stone step by the Science department, and continued on towards them. He saw the three dig in to their stolen lunch, and neither looked up right away once his shadow had fallen over them.

"Can I sit?" he directed the question at Mitsuko.

She didn't make any visible effort to chew and swallow the sandwich any quicker, deciding to make him wait before replying.

"Whatever for?" she asked in an exaggerated good-girl chime.

"Because I want to. And I think you want me too, aswell"

"_Do_ you?" her gaze narrowed.

"Um-hm" and before she could protest, he sat himself between her and Hirono, who cried out a note of indignance.

Mitsuko, either through rage, fascination, or scrutiny, stared at him silently.

"What is it you want Kiriyama? Are your pathetic band of worshippers about to leap from the bushes and throw paint over us?" her tone was coolly unconcerned.

Kazuo shrugged, "I just wanted to sit with you. Is that so wrong?"

From behind his back, Mitsuko exchanged frowns with Hirono, ignoring Yoshimi completely.

"I guess I don't care" Mitsuko shrugged, directing her attention back to him.

"I knew you'd say that" Kazuo offered her a satisfied smirk.


	3. A New Game

**Once again, I own nothing. Let me know what you think :D**

"I still don't understand your motive" Mitsuko didn't appear distinctly impressed, facing Kazuo over the table at the trendy new coffee bar, waitresses and college kids streaming around them.

Kazuo shrugged, "I just wanted to get a coffee with you" his gaze dropped to the untouched cup sitting idly before the girl. "You're offending me, by the way"

"How so?" her eyes flashed and a small smirk appeared.

"I don't buy people coffee. Ever. And now that I have, you're not even drinking it. More than that, though, you're not being very polite" he added that last point as a joke.

Mitsuko sniggered, "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not polite. Ever" she mocked him, while experiencing a secret thrill to be sat here with him.

He graced her with a smile for the first time, and Mitsuko found that she couldn't look away. What was wrong with her? This was _Kazuo Kiriyama_! This – whatever it was – could not happen.

Suddenly, though in reality it was a smooth motion, Kazuo reached across the table and took Mitsuko's hand.

To both of their surprise, she didn't pull away.

Kazuo smirked, ignoring all of the feelings he didn't understand.

"Well," he drawled, after a long time had lapsed in silence, "It seems like you don't abhor my company after all"

"Don't delude yourself" she said briskly, trying to pull her hand away.

To her dismay, Kazuo held it tighter.

"Mitsuko," he said her name, to test it out, unsure of the way it felt leaving his mouth. He _could_ like her, he supposed. She already had him intrigued. It was now only a matter of convincing her of his…feelings.

She had gone very still under his gaze. Did she already feel something for him?

"_Mitsuko_," he said again, then leaned forward slowly, until he felt his lips connect with hers.

Mitsuko's breath caught, and she felt hopelessly disorientated. Why was he kissing her? Why was she letting him? She couldn't possibly want this? Not when she was convinced she already had feelings for –

Kazuo pulled away, smiling slightly. Mitsuko's stomach flipped when she saw that his eyes, those black, impenetrable orbs, had softened considerably.

Was it possible…could Kazuo Kiriyama actually _like_ her? _Her_?

Before she could sort out her thoughts, he stood, drained his coffee, and headed for the exit.

Snatching up her bag, suddenly filled with rage, Mitsuko gave chase.

She caught him out on the street.

"Hey!" she yelled, scowling.

He slowly turned around, expression blank. "Yes?"

"What the fuck was that?" her confused feelings were causing her words to come out much more aggressive than was necessary.

"A kiss?" he guessed.

"Fuck you! Who do you think you are? You don't get to do that!"

"What? Kiss you?"

"I _don't_ like being played with, Kiriyama. Especially by assholes like you" she wanted to storm up to him and punch him, but something held her back.

"You think I'm…_playing_ you?" the confusion in his tone threw her.

"I know you are! You don't just kiss someone and then fuck off!"

"Do you think you could mind your language? There're elderly citizens around"

Mitsuko laughed in outrage. "You know what Kazuo, fuck you" she turned and stormed down the street, wanting to put as much distance between herself and that asshole as she could.

She stopped at the crossing and folded her arms, fuming. A hand reached out and touched her shoulder.

She didn't need to look to know it was him.

The little green man began to wail, and Mitsuko set off at a brisk stride, wanting him to get mowed by a bus.

"Don't you think you're overreacting?" his voice caught up to her.

"Fuck you Kazuo" she called back in a more measured tone, sighing.

Suddenly she felt him seize both of her biceps and spin her around. He shoved her against the railings of the park fence and stared down at her, wild-eyed.

"You're not listening to me" there was an urgency in his voice that made Mitsuko shiver.

"Tell me what you really want then" her voice wasn't much higher than a whisper.

"I want _this_" he kissed her again, this time for longer than before.

She didn't struggle against him, or attempt to pull him closer, and when his tongue slipped into her mouth she welcomed it; greeting it with her own. He pressed his body against hers, but she was unaware of the metal bars pressed against her back.

Kazuo deepened the kiss, tilting her head back, his hands finding her hips and squeezing. Mitsuko couldn't draw enough breath to keep this up, but she would be damned if she let him go now. Slowly, she trailed her hands up his arms until they came to rest on his shoulders.

Neither of them had felt this kind of passion before, and instead of being afraid of it (like Mitsuko had always secretly been), they welcomed it, like the pouring rain after a drought.

Their mouths slowed, until they stopped moving altogether, resting only centimetres apart.

Kazuo slid his arms around her and buried his neck in her shoulder, memorising her scent. He could feel her pounding heart, and he focused on that, so he wouldn't have to confront his churning emotions. He wasn't used to feeling anything anyway, especially to this extent.

Eventually he stepped away, and Mitsuko couldn't ignore his disconcerted expression. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She wanted to get away, but she never wanted to leave.

Kazuo's gaze fell on her. "I have to go" but he didn't move. Slowly, almost timidly, he took her hand, "I just…need to sort out…my head. But I _want_ this," he indicated the two of them, "to carry on. So…I'll…call you. If that's ok"

Mitsuko nodded, dumb, "It is"

Kazuo nodded, running a hand through his hair and now unable to meet her eye. He let go of her hand, then swallowed.

She was about to turn away when he swooped in again to give her one last kiss.

Then he was gone. Mitsuko sagged against the rail, fingers resting where his lips had been.

...

Hirono was furious. She had seen it all. The pair of them sneaking off after school, the coffee, the fight outside, Mitsuko storming off like a woman scorned. Then the kiss. Oh, _that kiss_. Hirono had never imaged Mitsuko capable of such a kiss.

She stopped that little thought dead in its tracks.

But still, her blood burned, and she didn't know how to relieve her anger.

Mitsuko should have known better! Better than to go off with a heatless bastard like Kiriyama. As if he really gave a shit about her!

It wasn't jealousy, Hirono told herself. It definitely wasn't. Just rather…

The buzzing of her phone – stolen, from some shitty big mouthed slut from the Rich Estate – began to ring incessantly and she forced her eyes away from Mitsuko, still supported by the park rail, touching the spot that _he_ had kissed, like some love sick idiot, to answer it.

"Where are you guys? Don't tell me Mitsuko's sent me to the wrong place _again_. Sometimes that girl is such a –"

"Shut up" Hirono gasped a shuddering breath. "You're in the right place. I'm just late"

"Oh" Yoshimi said, as if she had just struck a brick wall. "Well, what about Mit – "

"I don't know" Hirono snapped, rubbing her free hand over her face. She backed up, expecting to see her twat of a best friend still collapsed over the fence, but Mitsuko was gone.

To her surprise, Mitsuko was already at the designated meeting place, and back to her languid, bitchy self.

She was lounging with her legs stretched out on the bench beside her, forcing Hirono into the booth beside Yoshimi.

"Thank _god_ you guys showed up. Everyone was looking at me like I was some kind of total _loser_…"

Yoshimi carried on talking, but Mitsuko and Hirono exchanged smirks and proceeded to ignore her. When Mitsuko sauntered off to the bathroom, Hirono followed, mumbling something about periods so Yoshimi would stay in her seat.

"Hey" Hirono kicked the door shut behind her and observed Mitsuko touching up on her make up in the mirror. "We _need_ to get rid of that moron"

Mitsuko laughed, re-fixed the lid of her mascara and turned to her friend, "Isn't that exactly what I've been telling you since we let her in? The little shit's only good for a laugh, because she always does whatever I tell her"

"Yes" replied Hirono, with an unimpressed frown, "I could see that"

"Shall I tell her tonight then?" Mitsuko rolled her eyes at Hirono's lack of humour and crossed the bathroom to her.

"Might as well" Hirono was thinking of ways to make Mitsuko confess what had happened with Kiriyama. So far, she didn't appear inclined to share.

They strolled back out into the café, and sat down at the booth side by side, fixing looks of distaste at Yoshimi.

"W-what is it? Guys?" the other girl asked timidly.

"Well, I'm not sure how this managed to escape your notice, but I don't like you" Mitsuko began in a bored voice, though Hirono could tell from the lights dancing in her eyes that she was enjoying cutting Yoshimi down. "You're useless and annoying and a total wannabe. You're _pathetic_. You may as well join up with _Megumi_ and _Kaori_ at school tomorrow, because you are not welcome here with us anymore"

In a shocking display of bravery, Yoshimi drew herself up and glared at Mitsuko, "_Will_ you? Even after I tell everybody what you get up to?"

Mitsuko snorted derisively, "Go right ahead, you little twat. Like I care what any of _those_ losers think." Her tone suddenly turned deadly "But _you_ do, don't you? What do you think would happen to you if I happened to _let slip_ about your indiscretions? Hm? The drugs we told you to take, the men you slept with to," Mitsuko gave a small laugh, full of contempt, "_impress_ Hirono and me. Yes, attempting to unsettle me will only end in your own downfall, so I'd think very carefully about your next move"

Mitsuko stood, everything about her commanding respect. Hirono followed suit. "You can get the bill" Mitsuko concluded dismissively, barely casting the stricken Yoshimi a glance, before taking her Hirono's arm in a gesture of solidarity and sauntering for the exit.

When they were outside, Hirono burst into laughter, "That was _brutal_!"

Mitsuko smiled lazily, "I'm glad to be rid of her, actually"

"So what do you wanna do now? We could go back to my place? The 'rents are out and they brought some _pre_tty expensive vodka the other day"

"Then how can I refuse?" Mitsuko's grin was infectious.

...

By the time Kazuo arrived at the Family hangout, it was dark, and Sho had pretty much had a heart attack.

"Where have you _been_?" he cried, stricken.

Kazuo's withering glance wasn't quite so, and he sat down in his usual seat like he had been rushed off his feet all day.

"Has something happened Boss?" Mitsuru asked with concern.

"Yes" Kazuo trailed off.

The rest of the Family glanced at one another, frowning.

"Are you alright? Does anyone need sorting out?" Mitsuru continued.

Kazuo shook his head, eyes unfocused.

Suddenly they cleared, and fell upon Hiroshi. "You're sleeping with Hirono Shimizu, aren't you?"

Hiroshi flushed, "I prefer the term, "_dating_" Boss, but yeah"

Kazuo said no more, and got to his feet. "See you guys tomorrow"

Sho practically fell to his knees as the figure of his idle disappeared into the blackness.

Kazuo had barely even acknowledged him!

...

Kazuo wanted to go and see Mitsuko. Now that he had accepted her existence, _and_ her allure, she was trapped inside his head like a tumour.

He needed to distract himself.

But how?

As he was striding past the basketball court, trashed from all the drunken parties it had held, Kazuo spotted Shinji, playing alone, and Shuya and Nobu leaving from the other exit.

Kazuo waited until they were both out of sight before entering the court.

He stood back against the fence, watching Shinji play; the way the muscles of his arms flexed as he pushed the ball up towards the net, the way his legs lifted from the ground but managed to land with precision.

For the first time he understood what all those lunatics meant when they called sport an art.

Shinji suddenly looked around, and his frown was this time due to surprise, rather than offense.

"Kiriyama?"

"Hey"

"What are you doing here?" Shinji asked, making his way over, the ball under his arm.

"I was just passing and I saw you practising. You're good. But I guess you already know that" there was no awkwardness in the way he said it, nor was there flattery; he was just stating a fact.

"Thanks…wanna play?"

Kazuo was caught off guard for a moment, "I'm not sure…"

"Come on, you're good. I've seen you. You know, when you actually _bother_ to play"

Kazuo gave him a half smile. "Alright. You've twisted my arm"

"Hope it doesn't affect your game" Shinji joked, tossing him the ball as he got into position. "First to five?"

"Ten"

Shinji laughed, and then the game began. At the end, Kazuo had won; scoring a clean ten to Shinji's eight.

"Seriously" Shinji puffed, slapping Kazuo on the back, "You should try out for the team"

"You reckon?" Kazuo smirked, in a no-way-in-hell, rather than his usual menacing one.

"Yeah! We'd be lucky to have you"

"I'll think about it" even though he wouldn't, not with everything else on his mind.


End file.
